


No Trespassing

by PizzaIncognito



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Blood and Injury, Crimes & Criminals, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fake AH Crew, Happy Ending, Heist, M/M, Not Quite GTA V, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-10-28 20:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10838739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PizzaIncognito/pseuds/PizzaIncognito
Summary: After walking away from the business three years ago, Ryan Haywood is called back in by his friend and old partner, Geoff Ramsey, for one last epic heist. The game? Shutting down a weapon empire fueling terrorism and black market deals across North America. The mark? None other than the biggest baddies out there:Funhaus International.It’s a crazy mission, and it can’t possibly end in anything but their deaths, but Ryan finds himself agreeing anyway, if only to fill the gaping void in his life. As he and Geoff gather the Achievement Hunters, they recruit another criminal to help with their mission: the impossibly talented and impossibly attractive, Jon Risinger. With a hacker on the crew, the Achievement Hunters might just stand a chance.That is, if Ryan’s growing attraction to Jon doesn’t get in the way, and if Funhaus doesn’t catch wind of what they’re doing. Because, if they do, then this heist will also be the end of Ryan, Jon, and the Achievement Hunters.





	1. The Phone Call

**Author's Note:**

> I suppose the best way to explain this AU would be to say that it's _sort of_ GTA V, but different. The same basic concept - heists, the Fake AH Crew, crime - remain, but a lot of little details have been changed to make this an AU of the Fake AH Crew. Inspired by the GTA V videos, the TV show Leverage, and a handful of other resources, _No Trespassing_ is my first big foray into RPF, Achievement Hunter fic, and Risingwood. I'm really, really excited to get this out to all of you, so I hope you like it! I worked really hard on this fic and I cannot wait for it all to unfold. I'll try to update as often as I can, but I have a lot of real life stuff going on, so please be patient with me!
> 
> _Baby, your love is a crime  
>  Danger by day, but you're evil in the night_

The phone jarred Ryan awake far too early, if the lack of sun was anything to go by. He groaned and shoved a pillow over his head, trying to block out the obnoxious ringing and buzzing of his cellphone against the end table of the cheap rental he was currently staying in. After a few long, terrible moments, it finally stopped, and Ryan relaxed, preparing to go back to sleep.

A moment later, the phone started up again, and Ryan cursed and threw the pillow across the room. It hit the curtains pulled over the window and nudged them open. Barely dawn, the sky still that dark, washed out blue it went just before the sun came over the horizon.

He groaned and snagged the phone off the end table, shoving it against his ear as he tapped the ‘answer’ button.

“What?” he snapped, voice thick and raspy from sleep.

_“Ryan Haywood, it’s been a few years, man,”_ said the voice on the other line.

Ryan’s eyes snapped wide open and he shoved himself upright, suddenly much more awake. He turned over and pressed his back to the wall his bed was against, staring at the closed door across from the bed in horror.

“Geoff?” he whispered.

A chuckle on the other end of the line. _“Yeah, man, it’s me. How’ve you been? It’s been a while.”_

“Three years,” murmured Ryan, fear bleeding away as he shook off sleep. He pushed himself out of bed and scrubbed a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Why are you calling me?” he asked. He stumbled over to the curtain and twitched it open a little further, hesitantly peering out the window and looking down on the darkened streets. The streetlights were still on, and in the inky shadows anyone could be lingering.

He frowned and twitched his curtains shut again before clicking on the lamp on the end table.

_“I can’t just call to check up on an old friend?”_ asked Geoff, sounding sort of insulted.

“Not after three years, you can’t,” replied Ryan. He couldn’t quite get the bitterness out of his voice.

_“Hey, man, you were the one who walked away, don’t pin that on me,”_ said Geoff, sounding more frustrated than bitter. Ryan hesitated, then grimaced, rubbing a hand over his face. He couldn’t argue there. Not even if he really wanted to.

“Yeah, okay, okay,” said Ryan. He sighed and dropped back on the bed, leaning forward to rest his arms on his legs and put his head in his free hand. “That doesn’t answer my question, though.”

_“I’ve got a job for you,”_ said Geoff. There was a click, then a whoosh, like Geoff had just lit up a cigarette, and Ryan could almost picture it. The tattooed hands working a zippo lighter to light a white cigarette, then the smoke billowing up to leave Geoff in more shadow than before.

He’d seen it enough times when they worked together.

Though, Geoff’s knuckles had been bloody most times, back then. Leaned against the wall of whatever back alley they’d ducked in to that night after whatever shit they’d just pulled. He always lit up after an ‘interrogation’. After the crack of bone and flesh and muffled screams coming from a dirty, bloody gag had finally faded.

Ryan could still remember the taste in the air if he tried hard enough – the sulphur from the factories, the copper from the blood, and the bitterness from his own sweat and face paint as it dripped into his open mouth and stained his teeth blacker than the night which kept them safe.

“What makes you think I want a job?” asked Ryan. He got to his feet and jammed the phone between his ear and his shoulder, shoving his pants on as he listened to the methodical exhales on the other end of the line.

_“You’re tight on money, aren’t you?”_ asked Geoff. Ryan was, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Geoff. Too many bad decisions and time between jobs. Fuck, he wasn’t even able to hold this rental for more than another two weeks. _“Besides, once you hear who we’re going after, I think you’ll change your mind.”_

Ryan snorted and stuffed his shirt over his head. Then, he stumbled into the bathroom and clicked on the light, squinting at himself.

“And just who are we going after?” asked Ryan. He rubbed a hand over his face and grimaced. He needed to trim again, his beard was much longer than he preferred. Tilting his head, he saw the grey touching the ends of his hair, just above his ears, and frowned.

_“Funhaus International.”_

Ryan dropped his phone. He winced when it bounced off the sink and skittered to the floor. Scrambling after it, he snagged the phone and pressed it to his ear, hearing Geoff’s laughter on the other end.

“I’m sorry, I must have _crazy_ in my ear, because you did _not_ just say _Funhaus_ ,” said Ryan. He rubbed a hand over his face and then used it to brace himself against the sink, staring into the mirror.

_“I did,”_ said Geoff.

“No, no way,” said Ryan, pushing off the sink. He went back into the bedroom and started pacing, one hand smacking the wall as he turned. “It’s suicide. It’s complete fucking suicide.”

_“We could do it,_ ” said Geoff, his voice picking up that bit of excitement it only did when he was really thinking. “ _Ryan – you and I were the best at what we did._ ”

Ryan shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek. “What we did wasn’t exactly very nice, Geoff?”

_“That’s the point,”_ said Geoff. _“Do you really think anyone else could do what we do?”_

Ryan shook his head a second time, licking his lips to try and find the words to reply. “We can’t do it alone, Geoff.”

_“We wouldn’t be alone,”_ replied Geoff. Ryan could almost picture his smile. At the very least, he could hear it. As crooked and excited as it had once been.

Ryan kept pacing, using the rhythm of his movements to keep himself from doing anything stupid – like shout at Geoff. You didn’t shout at Geoff Ramsey. You didn’t threaten Geoff Ramsey. Didn’t matter how close to him you were. You didn’t do it unless you wanted to lose whatever was between your legs.

“Why not?” asked Ryan, even though he knew he’d regret asking that question.

_“We’re going to put the Achievement Hunters together,”_ said Geoff.

Ryan let out something that might have been a curse or a laugh, he couldn’t place which, and slumped against the wall, banging his forehead gently against the drywall. “The Achievement Hunters was a damn pipe dream, Geoff. You know that.”

_“It’s not a pipe dream. You remember the short list. We can make it work,_ ” said Geoff. _“And we need a team to do this, just like you said.”_

“It’ll never work. You can’t put six random guys together and make a team, Geoff,” protested Ryan. Never mind that he hadn’t said ‘we need a team’. Geoff only heard what he wanted to, sometimes.

_“It’s not six random guys,_ ” said Geoff. Ryan shook his head again, mouth twisting into a grimace. He started pacing. First to one wall, then to the other. He couldn’t sit still, not with the thrumming in his veins and the gut ache he was getting. He wanted to hit something, but that never ended well. _“We’ve worked with all of them before, Rye.”_

_Rye._ Now there was a nickname he hadn’t heard in a long time. Griffon had called him Rye, when she wanted something, and Geoff had only used it once, back when…

A pain throbbed in Ryan’s knee at the memory. He grimaced and rubbed his left knee with his free hand.

Yeah, back when.

“Separately,” said Ryan. “Not together. We can’t expect them to get along just because we bullied them into listening to us.”

Geoff snorted on the other end of the phone. _“Bullied? Come on, man, we weren’t that bad._ ”

“No,” agreed Ryan. “We were worse.” Before Geoff could protest, Ryan continued with, “Besides, man. Those four you want? They’re criminals, but they aren’t killers. If we go up against Funhaus, there’s no way we’re not taking kill shots. I won’t be responsible for turning those guys into killers.”

There was a pregnant pause on the other end of the line. Geoff sighed and Ryan wondered if he’d won. Then, Geoff said, _“Actually, that’s part of why I called you. Those four aren’t killers but…”_

“We are,” finished Ryan. He stumbled back a few steps and dropped heavily onto his bed, his head in his hands. “I don’t know about this, Geoff. I haven’t killed in over three years.” Ryan rubbed a hand over his mouth. Bile rose up and coated his throat and tongue, leaving him grimacing at the bitter taste and bitter words. “I don’t want to fall down that hole again.”

_“I know you don’t. That’s what I’m here for,”_ said Geoff. There was a shuffle, like he was adjusting his jacket, and Ryan wondered why the guy was outside. It fit the image of back alley smoking, but still, it was fucking dawn. _“I’ll handle as much of it as I can, but I need someone on the team I can trust. Someone I know has everyone’s backs –_ my _back – no matter what. Can you do that for me, Ryan?”_

Ryan stared at the floor between his legs. He closed his eyes, fell back, and took a deep breath. “Everyone who’s ever gone after Funhaus has died, Geoff. Kinda Funny, the McElroys, _everyone._ ” Ryan swallowed hard and opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. In his mind’s eye, he could see the queen of Funhaus, Elyse Willems. The cruelest woman in the world. “No one’s stupid enough to go after them after all that.”

_“That’s exactly why they won’t see it coming,”_ said Geoff. Ryan grimaced and closed his eyes again. He knew that voice. He knew those words. If Geoff was calling him to recruit him, that meant his mind was already made up. Ryan couldn’t change his mind, not for all the money or pressure in the world. This heist, for some reason, was the one Geoff wanted to do.

They’d talked about it, when they were younger and even more stupid. They’d talked about going after Funhaus, about taking down the biggest bads to ever exist. Screw bank robberies, jewel heists, and museum thefts. Taking down Funhaus would get him and Geoff a reputation that would outlast their dying day.

They’d be kings.

They’d be gods.

But that was before the accident. That was before Ryan had walked away. That was before they’d gotten older and, at least in Ryan’s case, wiser.

It had been an impossible task back then, and even more impossible now.

So, then, why was Ryan tempted? Why did he feel the familiar pull in his stomach, telling him to follow Geoff’s lead?

_“You still there?”_ asked Geoff on the other side of the line.

Ryan sighed. “Yeah,” he said. He rested his free hand on his face. “Just thinking.” Geoff said nothing, but Ryan could still hear his occasional exhales as he smoked. “All right, say we _can_ take on Funhaus – and I’m not saying we can – we can’t just take the four guys you want. We need a hacker, Geoff. And none of those four are hackers.”

Geoff chuckled. _“You’re starting to plan,”_ he said, the grin strong in his voice. _“Does that mean you’re in?”_

Ryan pushed himself upright and got to his feet. He padded back to the bathroom and pressed his lips together. “I’m not saying I’m in,” said Ryan. “But…” He shook his head, trying to find the words. “Look, if I don’t have your back, you’re going to have to go find more muscle.”

_“Yup,”_ said Geoff. _“And we both know how trusting most muscle is. And how stupid._ ” Ryan thought back to another heist, almost a lifetime ago. He grimaced.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I do.” He thought about it for a long, long minute, then sighed and nodded to himself. “All right, I’m in. I don’t know _why_ , considering I’m gonna die, but I’m in.”

Ryan could hear Geoff grinning even wider on the other end of the line. _“I knew I could count on you.”_

“Yeah, yeah,” said Ryan. “I’m pulling the plug if this goes sideways.”

_“Wouldn’t have it any other way,”_ said Geoff. _“I’ll text you the address. Meet Griffon and me there, man. We’ll start planning.”_

“This is still crazy,” said Ryan, putting a hand on his face.

Geoff laughed on the other end of the line. _“Yeah, but aren’t all the best heists the crazy ones?”_ he asked. He hung up and Ryan was left with Geoff’s laughter echoing in his ears. He looked up in the mirror and stared at himself – at the touch of grey above his ears, at the tiny scar that had taken a chip out of one ear, at the bags under his eyes and the tension around his mouth.

He was only in his thirties, but his eyes made him older, sometimes. He’d seen and done too much shit, both good and bad, for someone his age.

His phone buzzed, an address in a text message from Geoff. Ryan checked it, looked back at the mirror, and took a deep breath.

Then, with a sigh and a shake of his head, Ryan pushed off the sink to grab his shit from around the apartment. He guessed it was time to go see Griffon and Geoff.


	2. The Apartment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan arrives at Geoff and Griffon's apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all the feedback last chapter! I'm so glad you're all enjoying the fic! Here's chapter 2. Chapter 3 shouldn't take as long.

Ryan drove across town to the apartment address he’d gotten via text from an unknown number that had to be Geoff. It was one of the shadier parts of town, though not as much as some of their old haunts, but the apartment itself seemed nice enough. Ryan parked, hesitating as he got out of his non-descript black car, then sighed and shook his head.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered. He slammed the car door shut, checked the apartment number on his phone, and headed in the front doors. He jammed the buzz code a bit harder than he had to, frowning at his reflection in the glass, and listened for the buzz in.

Pulling the door open, Ryan headed to the stairs, foregoing the elevator, and climbed the four stories up to the apartment on his phone. He rapped on the door for 415 and waited only a moment before it opened.

On the other side of the door was Geoff, looking as scraggly and haggard as always. He held his hand out to Ryan and grinned.

“Ryan! My man,” said Geoff. Ryan clasped hands with him and stepped in so they could bump shoulders. Geoff led him into the apartment. “Griffon! Ryan’s here!”

Griffon appeared from the hallway, cradling a cup of coffee, and smiled at Ryan. She, along with Geoff, had picked up a few more tattoos and a few more piercings since he’d last seen them – Griffon had knuckle tattoos to match Geoff’s, now – but otherwise, they were still the same people he’d walked away from, three years ago.

‘Walked’. As if he had a choice. Not that Geoff would listen to that.

The man was as brilliant as he was stubborn, something Geoff often said about Ryan as well.

“Good to see you, stranger,” said Griffon. Her eyes wrinkled around the edges, marking her smile as genuine. Some day, Ryan thought, he might stop clocking different smiles for their intentions.

“You too, Griffon,” said Ryan. He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together, trying to figure out what to say to the two of them.

“How do you feel about all this?” asked Griffon.

Ryan shrugged and watched as Geoff disappeared down the hallway to grab something. “I can’t believe I’m walking back into this,” he said. He sat down on the couch and Griffon dropped down next to him, putting her hand on his knee. “It was supposed to be over, Griffon.”

“I know, but you know Geoff,” said Griffon.

“We got someone killed,” said Ryan, softly.

“We got a lot of people killed,” said Griffon. She looked up as Geoff started down the hallway again, and dropped her voice to a whisper. “I think we can do this.”

“You’re biased,” said Ryan.

She smiled. “Maybe.” Then, Geoff was in the living room again, and Griffon leaned away from Ryan to watch him sit down in his chair. Ryan knew the drill. Geoff got the chair, everyone else took the floor, the walls, the couches – anything that wasn’t that chair. The only person permitted even close to it was Griffon.

“What’re you two talking about?” asked Geoff.

“Your handsome face,” said Griffon. She leaned back against the couch and folded her hands in her lap. “Right, Ryan?” She turned her amused smile to Ryan, who only rolled his eyes in response.

“Ha, ha,” said Geoff. “Very funny.” Then, looking to Ryan, he said, “You know, in three years, I kind of expected something different out of you.”

Ryan raised his eyebrows. “Oh?” he said.

“Yeah. Figured you’d go travelling, find a boyfriend, settle down,” said Geoff. “But you’re still a roamer, aren’t you?”

_In more ways than one,_ Ryan didn’t say. Instead, he merely shrugged and said, “I know what I like.”

“Mm,” said Griffon. “And what you liked was fifty bucks a pop at a local strip club.” She shook her head, a wry grin on her face. “I remember you blowing so much money on the boys in those clubs after heists.”

Ryan flushed and ducked his head, clearing his throat. “Not lately,” he said. And that was true. He was too old for those sorts of places, now. Too old and too awkward. Besides, he wasn’t much into watching half-naked men dance around on poles and in laps anymore.

There was no rush to go with it; only guilt, shame. General frustration over his own ability to settle down and find a _life_ —

But that was getting too personal.

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Ryan. Geoff furrowed his brow at him. “You brought me here to take down _Funhaus,_ Geoff. You better have a plan.”

A shadow went across Geoff’s face as he said, “Funhaus took my daughter away from me. My _plan_ is to burn those motherfuckers to the ground.”

Ryan looked away from Geoff. He’d heard, through the grapevine, that Geoff and Griffon’s daughter had died in a hospital fire in Los Santos. He’d heard, through the grapevine, that the rumour was that it was Funhaus who’d done it. He’d heard a lot of things.

He’d gone to her grave, a few times. Left flowers, whispered lullabies.

He’d been her godfather, after all. It was his job to see her through to the other side.

“I’m sorry about her, Geoff,” said Ryan. “I’ve been to her grave. It’s beautiful.” He remembered the inscription on the grave.

_Riven Ramsey. 2005-2015. Taken too soon. See you on the other side, baby girl._

“She would have been twelve this year, you know,” said Geoff. He wouldn’t look at Ryan, instead staring at some unseen spot on the floor. “We had her whole tenth birthday planned. Had a party. Had a bouncy castle.” He laughed, bitter and coated in tears. “She would’ve loved it. She loved bouncy castles.” He shook his head and wiped at his eyes, sucking in a sharp breath.

Ryan nodded, his own vision blurry as he looked from Geoff to Griffon, who was wiping at her own eyes, her lower lip trembling.

“We’re not leaving them alive, Ryan,” said Geoff, his voice hoarse. “We’re going to murder every one of those fuckers if it’s the last thing I do.”

Ryan nodded, firm and teary. “I’m with you, but this is suicide, Geoff. Do you really want to go down like this?” He looked at Griffon. “I don’t think Riven would want you to join her so soon.”

Geoff shook his head, a bitter twist to his lips. “Nah, she wouldn’t.” He looked to Griffon. “Can you grab them? The files?”

She nodded and got up, disappearing down the hall to get them.

“Paper?” asked Ryan.

“Easier to burn,” said Geoff. “No tracks.”

Ryan nodded.

Griffon reappeared and dropped the five files – Ryan raised an eyebrow at the inclusion of a fifth – and sat down again. She gestured to them and Ryan pulled the four he recognized forward. He eyed the unmarked fifth one and frowned again.

“I guessed it’d be these four,” said Ryan. He looked at Geoff. “They were the ones you mentioned when you wanted to make the Achievement Hunters the first time.”

He opened the first file. _Michael Jones aka ‘Mogar’._

Highly dangerous physical fighter. Considered a loose cannon by most, but one of the most capable people you’d ever meet. He specialized in distractions and in explosives. No one knew bombs like Michael Jones.

Ryan remembered working alongside him. Remembered the fearless way the guy had dove into every fight. The way he could dodge anything in a physical fight but struggled with the long-range ones. He was good for undercover too.

Not a bad choice at all, even if he was a little inexperienced in this sort of deal.

He took the second file.

_Gavin Free aka ‘Vav’._ Grifter and psychological programmer. A fancy way of saying Gavin was a good hypnotist and good at reading people. The guy was incredibly convincing at playing a drunken idiot when undercover and could get people to tell him just about anything. Also a half decent art thief and a better art recreationist.

Ryan didn’t trust him. He didn’t like grifters. They had too many faces, too many lies. Hard to tell who the real one was.

But Gavin had helped them out on a heist once, distracting the secretary while Ryan and Geoff got out.

Besides, Gavin was easy to control and terrified of Ryan. Could work.

The third file marked a man close to Ryan’s age. _Jack Pattillo._ No nicknames to speak of, though the hitter community often referred to him as She-Ra due to his feminine and overly emotional demeanour and nature. Frankly, Ryan didn’t understand people who thought She-Ra was an insult.

Jack was more of a driver and informant than anything else. He was great in a pinch, but had a hard time shutting up. Made a hell of a getaway driver though. He could drive anything – land, sea, or sky.

He’d gotten them out of fire fights in one piece twice, to Ryan’s memory. One of which had been while Geoff was bleeding out in his backseat.

The fourth file was the youngest person Ryan, Geoff, and Griffon had ever worked with. _Jeremy Dooley aka ‘Lil J’._

Michael may have had a reputation for being a loose cannon, but Jeremy was the true wild card. Michael could be reasoned with. Jeremy was inexperienced and jumpy. He tended to scare easy – and god knew he was terrified of Ryan to the point of going non-verbal around him sometimes – but he had a steady hand.

Geoff and Ryan had picked him out of underground MMA fights, four years ago, for a singular heist. They’d had him do their drilling. Jeremy was a hell of a thief, especially when it came to banks. From what Ryan had heard, he’d gone into the thieving business properly after Ryan had retired.

Ryan wondered if Jeremy had met Gavin then. The art thief world was pretty tight.

“So, what do you think?” asked Geoff.

Ryan leaned back, ignoring the fifth file for the moment. “Mogar, Vav, She-Ra, Lil J, the Grand Master,” said Ryan, slowly, the last referring to Geoff.

“And the Mad King,” finished Geoff, grinning at him, crooked and broken. He spread his hands. “Hell of a mix, Ryan.”

Ryan’s mouth twisted up on one side. “Aren’t I the Vagabond now?” he asked.

Geoff chuckled and leaned forward on his arms, clasping his hands together between his knees. “Yeah, you are,” he said. “You know most people don’t even realize those are the same person?” He shook his head. “Idiots, all of them.”

“Better that way,” said Ryan. He drummed his fingers together on the closed fifth file and frowned, trying to figure out who it would be, but he had nothing. They’d only ever known one hacker.

Just one.

“It’s a good line-up,” said Ryan. “Thieves, grifters, hitters. Mostly mixed up, too, so we don’t have to worry about anyone being too specialized. Even got a getaway driver.” Ryan frowned and shook his head. “No good informants though. Pattillo’s all right, but he’s no Luna, Geoff.”

“You know we have no way to talk to Luna,” said Geoff.

Ryan clenched his jaw. “Yeah, we lost that with—”

“Don’t,” said Geoff, his voice soft. Griffon laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about that, you know that.”

“Sorry?” asked Ryan, voice going tight. “You think sorry makes up for—” He shook his head and closed his eyes. Rubbed a hand over his face and cursed under his breath.

“Ryan,” said Griffon. “You know that was an accident. We never thought Ray—”

“You think it matters?” asked Ryan. He shoved himself to his feet and stalked over to the window, starring out at the smoggy streets.

Three hours north of Los Santos. He couldn’t see it from here, but he could feel its call, like a drug, like a lover.

Like a poison. And god knew Los Santos was as fatal as it was addictive.

It prickled under his skin and whispered of possibilities in his ears. The biggest take of a lifetime was over the horizon. If it didn’t kill them. The biggest take, the biggest take. Geoff had said it a thousand times. Ever heist bigger, bolder, more terrifying, more dangerous, than the last.

Until they’d finally reached a breaking point.

Until finally their hubris and their arrogance had cost them one of their own.

“He was a kid,” said Ryan. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “He has a kid and we dragged him into our mess to try and clean it up. The only hacker we could ever get and we did it dirty, Geoff.” He blinked hard, tears in his eyes. “ _Fuck._ ” He swiped at his eyes. “We got him _killed_. We got him killed and then…”

“Then you almost went down too,” said Geoff. Ryan remembered. The only other time they’d ever run into Funhaus. Fire fight. Kidnapping. Ryan had two false teeth from that encounter and more than a few nightmares. Funhaus knew their faces.

The worst thing in the business was for the enemy to know your face.

Geoff got up and rested a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “But now we have a chance to make things right.” His words were uncharacteristically soft.

Ryan nodded, swallowing. “So, who’s our hacker, then?” he asked. His words were hoarse and he didn’t look at Geoff as he spoke.

“You wanna look now, or you wanna wait until I call the boys in?” asked Geoff.

Ryan hesitated only a moment. “Call them,” he said. He watched motorcycles drive by on the smoggy street below. “We’ll look after.” Geoff’s hand left Ryan’s shoulder and his reflection disappeared from the window.

Ryan sighed and rested his forehead on the cool glass, closing his eyes.

“Thank you,” said Griffon. Ryan opened his eyes and pushed off the window to look at her. “You know he’d do this with or without you.”

Ryan nodded. “I do,” he said. He leaned against the window and folded his arms.

“But he’s right,” said Griffon. She clenched her jaw. “With everything going on in Los Santos, Funhaus is vulnerable. We might actually be able to take them.”

“Maybe,” said Ryan. He’d heard the news. Drug sprees. Crime lords. Gang fights. Dirty cops. They might have a chance in the hell. Maybe. “But we’re gonna need a hell of a lot more than just the Achievement Hunters.”

Griffon smiled. “You think I don’t have connections?” She sat down in Geoff’s chair and Ryan sat down on the couch. “Between the three of us, we can handle this.”

Ryan nodded again, staring at his clasped hands between his knees. “Funhaus took something from me too, Griffon. They took Ray from me. He might not have been my brother, not by blood…”

“But he was close enough,” she replied.

Ryan nodded. “We’ve both lost someone we loved to those assholes.” His voice was hoarse. He looked Griffon in the eye. “Now, it’s their turn to lose everything.”

Griffon nodded and the two waited for Geoff to return from his calls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all comments are appreciated!


	3. The Achievement Hunters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Achievement Hunters gather in Geoff's apartment.

It took some time for the newest members of the crew to arrive, and while they waited, Ryan made breakfast for the three of them. It was just omelets, but Griffon and Geoff both seemed appreciative. Once the dishes were washed, it was only a few more minutes before the four started to file in.

They came one by one. Jack arrived first, sporting nail polish and eyeliner sharp enough to cut someone. He clasped hands with Geoff, their hands a sharp contrast from where Ryan stood, and Jack sat down on the couch, as far away from Ryan as he possibly could while still taking the couch. Ryan leaned against the window, arms folded loosely against his chest, and said nothing. His face was impassive. His eyes were a million miles away.

This was how it worked. This was how they operated.

This was the monster, not the man, Ryan had built himself up to be.

Michael came next. He sauntered in with all the arrogance of a man who’d never lost anything bigger than a stupid bet, stopped short when he saw Ryan watching him with that same thousand-yard stare, and sat down on the middle of the couch. Griffon remained seated on the arm of the chair.

Gavin and Jeremy came together, their voices soft but frustrated as they approached the door. Arguing, then, but about what, Ryan didn’t know. They both froze when the door opened and they saw Ryan against the window. Gavin went pale; Jeremy took a step back. Ryan tilted his head, just slightly, to one side. He raised his eyebrows at the men, as if to ask them what they were staring at. He knew what they were staring at.

Probably half of it was shock to see his naked face, and not simply his blue-grey eyes staring out from beneath face paint or a skull mask.

They both scooted into the room and sat on the floor on the far side of Jack. Neither looked at Ryan. Frankly, he didn’t blame them.

The singular file on the table stared up at them all. Unmarked and foreboding in its possibility.

“Welcome to the Achievement Hunters, boys,” said Geoff, clapping his hands together as he strode toward them all. He nodded to Griffon, who got up and took the last spot on the couch, allowing Geoff to take his spot in the chair. “You all know each other somewhat, I’m sure,” said Geoff. The four nodded. Gavin’s gaze stayed on the floor, so different from the Vav – the _Golden Boy_ – he was known to be. Ryan wondered how badly he had thrown the four off, and if it would affect how they operated. “And of course, you all know myself and the Vagabond.” He gestured to Ryan, who nodded. He said nothing.

He was meant to be the intimidator of the bunch, and it was a role he’d stick to as strongly as he could, regardless of how the four men in the room felt at the moment. It wasn’t that hard. Not really. Not when he could read the group’s body language like a restaurant menu. Jack was too calm. Michael kept looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Jeremy was practically shaking. Gavin wouldn’t look up from the floor.

At some point, they’d learn to deal with their feelings toward him. At some point, they’d go back to normal. It was simply a matter of timing.

“Look, if you guys are gonna work with him, you can’t be so scared of him,” said Geoff. He batted his eyelashes at Ryan. “Right, V?”

“I think your wife would protest the flirting,” rumbled Ryan, purposely dropping his voice a little lower than normal.

Griffon smiled and leaned back in her seat. “Oh, I would,” she said. She raised a slim eyebrow. “Unless I could watch.” The teasing in her voice made the corner of Ryan’s mouth quirk up. He said nothing.

The other four didn’t seem to know what to make of the three of them. Frankly, Ryan didn’t blame them. He and the Ramseys played this game of cat and mouse, of teasing and flirtation, quite well. They always had.

“You know why you’re here,” said Geoff. “We’re going after Funhaus.”

“I still think this is crazy,” said Michael, softly, shaking his head.

“I’m with him,” said Gavin. His head finally came up, accent thick on the shaking of his words. “This is right mad, mates. We can’t take on _Funhaus_. They’ll kill us!”

“And yet, you’re here,” said Geoff.

Michael scoffed. “Come on, you offered us two hundred grand a pop, plus bonuses – you think anyone with a _brain_ is gonna turn that down?” he asked.

“It only works if we win,” said Geoff. Michael shrugged. “ _And_ if we survive.”

“I’m not afraid of death,” said Michael.

“Yeah,” said Jack, speaking up. He jerked a thumb toward Ryan. “I’m pretty sure we’re all more scared of your guard dog over there than death at this point.” Ryan’s lips twitched again. He said nothing.

Geoff shrugged and leaned back on the chair. “You should be,” he said. “V’s a lot worse than anything Funhaus can throw at you.” Geoff cast a glance to Ryan. There was amusement in his eyes, like he couldn’t quite believe these four were so scared of Ryan – a man who’d almost been in tears only a few hours prior for a lost friend. A man who’d made omelets and sang showtunes with Griffon while they’d done the dishes, not long after that.

Ryan couldn’t quite believe it either. But it was easy to forget just how much of a heartless monster he’d cultivated himself to be, way back when. How that reputation had stuck, after his retirement.

His left knee gave a twinge, reminding him of one of the many reasons why that retirement had come so abruptly. He hoped it held up for what they were doing. Hoped it didn’t give him away.

“For what we’re doing, we’re going to need a lot of practice, and a lot of teamwork,” said Geoff. He got to his feet and pulled down a switch in the wall that Ryan hadn’t noticed before. A white board slid out of the wall and hung around the right height for Geoff to write on. He picked up a dry erase marker from behind the TV and turned to them all. “To take on Funhaus, we’re gonna need to get into their base, and to get into their base, we’re gonna need a hell of a lot of prep work.”

Geoff surveyed them all with a cool look. “That’s why I got you four. You’ve got the skills to make my plan happen. If we do this right, we’ll be _kings._ ” Ryan swore he saw Gavin and Jeremy’s eyes light up at the prospect. “But, as long as you’re here, you’re going to obey my rules – got it?”

“What are the rules?” asked Jack.

“Threefold,” said Geoff. He pulled the cap off the marker and started writing on the board. The sharp, high-pitched squeaks were a contrast to the lower pitch of his voice. “One, don’t get attached,” said Geoff.

Ryan frowned slightly and watched, his mind awash with the reasons for what they were doing, and for the reasons these rules existed.

Funhaus had killed Geoff’s daughter.

“Two,” said Geoff, still writing, “don’t make it personal.”

Funhaus had killed Ray.

“Three: don’t get caught.”

They’d never been good at stealth.

“Follow these rules, and you’ll stay alive,” said Geoff. He capped the marker and turned and nodded to them all. “Got it?”

They’d already broken all three of those rules, whether or not Geoff or Griffon knew it. They weren’t going to walk out of his unscathed, if they walked out of it at all.

“We need a hacker,” said Ryan. The four jumped. Griffon seemed to be hiding a smile as she ducked her head. Geoff rolled his eyes and gave a pointed look at the file.

“Take a look, Vagabond,” said Geoff, that overdramatic way he so preferred. The others all stared, as if they were worried Ryan and Geoff were about to pull guns and start shooting each other up. But this was part of how they worked. Ryan was the guard dog. Geoff held the leash, so to speak. Not that Geoff could actually control him anymore than Geoff needed Ryan’s protection. But it was a dynamic they’d used to terrify the masses for years.

The Grandmaster and the Vagabond. The monsters of Los Santos.

Ryan nodded to Griffon, who flipped open the file with an exaggerated gesture. Ryan was looking forward to getting her onto the field. He’d seen Griffon in a fight twice. She was as blood hungry as her husband and her preferred weapon of choice was a _chainsaw._ Made for some interesting days at work, to say the least.

The file opened, Ryan looked down at it and frowned. _Oh no._

_Jon Risinger aka ‘Risemonger’._

“We’re getting the _Risemonger_?” asked Gavin, his voice rising sharply. “Isn’t he one of Luna’s?” His gaze swung toward Geoff, eyes wide.

“Nah, they had a falling out,” said Geoff. Ryan fought the urge to snort. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had said that phrase. God, Geoff was old. “He’s a free man now. And he’s about to be an Achievement Hunter.” He grinned at Ryan, who stepped forward and picked up the thin file, flipping though it.

Risinger was good, Ryan knew that. Had a history of being one of Luna’s lackeys, but that mostly meant he did his job in a cushy penthouse with a full bar and buffet. It’d be a bit different working for them. But AH wasn’t exactly a name that rolled off the tongue. They’d have to find something better, later on. If there even _was_ a later on.

“So, where is he?” asked Ryan. Gavin jumped again. Ryan wanted to tell the kid to relax. He wasn’t going to _hurt_ Gavin, not so long as he stayed in line.

“Funny you should ask,” said Geoff. He grinned at Ryan in that way that meant nothing good, and Ryan fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course Geoff had something planned. This was _Geoff_. “We’re gonna go get ‘im, right now.”

“Great,” said Ryan. “Should I do my hair first?” he asked. There was a dry snark to his voice that made the others look nervous, but Geoff just grinned. Old short hand – should he put on his face paint or mask?

“Nah, you’re beautiful the way you are, V,” said Geoff. He gestured toward the door. “Griffon, fill the boys in, will ya? I’m gonna take V to get Risinger.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Griffon. “Jack, you know how to mix drinks?”

“Yeah,” said Jack, sounding hesitant. Ryan followed Geoff out the door, fighting the urge to smile when he heard Griffon telling Jack to mix them drinks and Jack protesting that it was only ten in the morning.

“Really, _V_?” asked Ryan, when they hit the elevator.

Geoff shrugged. “Los Santos knows I’m Geoff Ramsey. They don’t know you’re, you know, you. Let’s keep it that way as long as possible,” said Geoff. There was something almost paternal in his voice when he said, “At least one of us deserves to walk away clean from all this.”

Ryan leaned against the elevator and looked away from Geoff. “Too much blood on my hands to walk away clean, Geoff. You know that better than anyone.”

Geoff stared down at his tattooed hands and clenched them into fists. “Yeah,” he said, quietly. “I know.” Together, the two headed out of the building and into Geoff’s car.

It was time to pick up the last member of their crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all comments are greatly appreciated! If you want to keep up with my updates and writing process, feel free to check me out on [Tumblr!](https://pizzaincognito.tumblr.com/)


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